1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cooling apparatuses, particularly for food and beverage storage, such as refrigerators and/or freezers for e.g. domestic use. More specifically, the present invention concerns the construction of condensers for cooling apparatuses in general and for refrigerators/freezers in particular.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Refrigerators for foods and beverages generally comprise a cabinet with at least one cooling compartment for storing the articles to be kept cool, like for example vegetables, fruit, dairy products, meat, beverages in bottles or cans. The cooling compartment is open frontally, or at the top, and a door enables access to the interior of the compartment.
Associated with the cabinet is a cooling system operable to keep the interior of the cabinet, particularly the cooling compartment, cold. The cooling system typically comprises at least one compressor, one condenser and one evaporator; the compressor, condenser and evaporator are in fluid communication by means of a piping and altogether form a closed hydraulic circuit, which is circulated through by a cooling agent.
In operation, the cooling agent circulates through the closed circuit from the compressor through the condenser and the evaporator and back to the compressor. The cooling agent is first compressed by the compressor, which raises the cooling agent pressure (and temperature). Then, the cooling agent flows to the condenser, where its temperature is decreased, causing it to change phase and pass from the gaseous to the liquid one; in this phase change, the cooling agent releases heat, that is dissipated by the condenser and released to the environment. Passing to the evaporator, which is located inside the refrigerator compartment (for example formed in the lining of the refrigerator compartment), the cooling agent evaporates, subtracting heat from the atmosphere within the refrigerator compartment and thus cooling the interior thereof.
In refrigerators having also a freezer compartment, for the long-term storage of frozen articles, an additional evaporator is provided for the freezer compartment, or possibly a separate cooling system may be provided for (with a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator dedicated to the freezer).
In a typical refrigerator, the compressor is accommodated in a recess formed in a bottom part of the cabinet at the rear thereof. The compressor is attached, through elastic elements adapted to dump vibrations, to a metal support that is in turn connected to side panels of the refrigerator cabinet. The condenser essentially comprises a winding tube or serpentine coil (for example of steel) with interconnection fins or wires (also made of steel and spot-welded to the coil) arranged to form a substantially flat grid, and is mounted vertically to the back of the refrigerator cabinet, above the compressor, using brackets.
The conventional arrangement of parts described above is for example shown in WO 2004/081473, in EP 125642 and in EP 364985.
Different solutions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,983 and GB 450299.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,983 a refrigerator condenser coil and a related manufacturing method are described; the serpentine coil, to which wires are attached, is folded into a U shape, to allow for cross flow of air through and around the condensing coil.
In GB 450299, a refrigerator condenser is described having a lower edge bent inwardly, forming a horizontal lower strengthening flange, a center bowed outwardly, to have an arcuate shape, and with vertical edges bent outwardly to form reinforcing flanges.